The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-02-09
BOOKS AND READING.


upon the value of the educat on that en-
ables one TO read we'll his own language.
Ii is common to think and speak OF such.
especially when compared with those who
have STUDIED Latin and Greek. as scarcely
educated at ali. And there Is difference;
the study of the classics is valuable as
mental discipline; il gives one a clearer un-
derstanding of the meaning of MANY words;
and TO he able to read the orations of Cicero
or the dialogues OF Plato in heir own lam
guage is very great pleasure. But all
these have been translated, and hence are
within the easy reach of the English reader,
and so are the most valuable books OF Ger
many and France: and thus the one who
can read well the English language has be-
fore him the literature of the world.
Try to imagine what it would be not to
be able to read at all. Such an one would
be shut up entirely to the world of speech,
to what he could hear others say or read.
He would have to depend upon others for
all the news of the world beyond his i'm
mediate neighborhood. When alone he
would be shut up to his own thoughts.
But he who can read has the world spread
out before him each morning and evening
in the daily papers; he can sit down alone
and have the words and thoughts of the
great thinkers and poets and orators; he
can read the history of every country and
every age, and the lives Of the great men
and wonen who have helped make history
and literature.
1t is very important, not only that one
should know how to read, but that the
tastes and the habits of reading should be
formed early in life. Herein is one value of
such papers as The LEDGER, and of many
story books. They create a desire, lead
the mind along into the habit of reading;
and, this once formed, the same mind, while
continuing to find pastime and an amuse-
ment in lighter reading, will come to love
the heavier and the stronger, to love his
tory, and topography, and science, and
philosophy.
But here the question arises: What
shall one read. and how shall he read to
the best advantage? And it should be set
tied in the outset that it is not possible to
read everything; nor would it be profitable,
for there are very many books upon almost
every subject.
The first thing to do, then, is to classify
subjects, and this will greatly simplify
the problem OF reading, for the subjects
upon which books have been written are
few, compared TO the number of the books.
| There ale hundreds of arithmetics and
English grammars, but there is but one
science of numbers, and the principles of
! the language are the same. The methods
of presenting the subjects may differ, but
the principles of addition, or multiplied
! ton, or those that govern the relations OF
| one part Of speech to another, are, and
must be, the same. And hence one good
! grammar or arithmetic is all one need study.
And so of history, and biography, and
science. There are many books upon each,
/ but good history of England, or a correct
life of Cromwell or Napoleon, should be
sufficient for general purposes, and one
L atVsxt
enough. And in this way it is possible to
classify books. by classifying subjects, and
at the same time reduce their discouragng
numbers so that one need not feet that, in
order To be we'll read, he must read every
thing, or even one in ten, or one III q hun
dred often, of the many books published.
Suppose that one should enter room
where thousands OF books were scattered
in confusion, and read successfully what
ever CHANGED to come before him; the result
would be that no plan or method would be
possible; the first volume might be novel,
and tie next awork on chemistry or astron-
omy. But suppose, now, that he begin TO
classify, and upon one shelf he Will ar
range all the books OF history, and upon
another those of science, and upon another
works of biography, and upon others he
would place the philosophers. and the
poets, and the artists; and he would class
ify the works of law, and medicine, and
theology. And now he would go further,
we will say. and divide history into an
cient and modern, and sacred and profane,
and place together all the works of each
author upon any one of these divisions;
and in this way arrange the poets, and the
philosophers, and the scientists, and the
novelists The result would be clear out
line in the mind of subjects and authors,
aud this in itself is quite an education.
But We have said that it is not necessary
TO read all the books in the world; and,
now. how shall one discriminate? OF a
dozen authors upon the same subject,
which shall be chosen? First, he should
look to fact and thought value. These, in
books of information and reason, are essen
tial qualities. Without them no book,
whatever be its binding or its beauty of
language, is worth reading. history
should be reliable; reason should be clear
and strong. The thought value of book
has been compared to the intrinsic value
in the material of an earring, or any piece
of iewelry. If the Jewel be gold or dia-
mond it has certain value independent of
the work put upon 1t. But If the material
be an oroide instead of gold, or crystalliZed
silica instead of diamond, no amount Of
ornamentation in the carving and setting
can redeem the jewel from worthlessness.
| Ana so or DOCK tnat purpOrIs W De u
book of facts or of reasonings; If it be
poor in these, no rhetorical onamentation
can give it value.
But a ring or necklace of gold or
pearls may have the additional value Of
being delicately and beautifully wrought;
and so book rich in facts and thought
may be clothed in the most beautiful lam
guage. And thus the expressional value
should determine in the choice between
authors of equal merit as to facts and rea-
soning; for there is refinement as we'll as
pleasure in reading the works of one whose
language is beautiful or strong as the
thought may require; or, in other words,
when the ideas are properly clothed.
The impulsive value of a book should
also be noted, especially in works of lit
erature. AS a rule, book that leaves a bad
impression-leaves one weak, or discour-
aged, or full of doubt, or that tends to lead
the mind away from its noblest convictions
of right-should not be read A really
good book should be power upon one s
life, an inspiration to send one forth to be
and to do good in the world.
There are only four really great or world
poets-Homer Dante, Goethe, and Shaks-